Features of University

<History and Now>
Meiji University was founded in January 1881 as the Meiji Law School by a group of young lawyers barely in their 30’s: Tatsuo Kishimoto, Kozo Miyagi, and Misao Yashiro. It was an era characterized by Japan’s urgent need to develop as a modern independent nation. The three founded the Meiji Law School in their fervent hope to “foster bright capable youths who would lead a modern civil society in Japan”.

Although confronted with countless obstacles and hardships along the way, Meiji University was born as a site for learning and education. Continuing its growth without ever ceasing to ring the chimes of liberty, Meiji University has expanded as one of the prominent private universities of Japan, celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2011. With Rights, Liberty, Independence and Self-government as its guiding principles, Meiji University is committed to fostering students who satisfy the requirements of “austerity and sturdiness”, “creation of new intellect” and “needs of the times”. Having sent out approximately 500,000 graduates into the world to date, it has contributed vastly to the progress of society. The achievements of the university’s numerous alumni actively engaged in key roles in various walks of life are highly reputed.

<Campus>
We have four campuses: Surugadai Campus, Izumi Campus, Ikuta Science Campus and Nakano Campus, which are all located in or in the vicinity from the heart of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Good access from the center of Japan to whatever places students wish to visit guarantees to spend fruitful campus life that they carry out their research and study effectively and efficiently toward the successful accomplishment.

<Strategy toward the global society>
We are ranked solidly among the best universities in Japan, currently consisting of 10 undergraduate schools, 3 professional graduate schools, 12 graduate schools and a law school. With the wide range of fields offered by the university, students can make the best used of the advantage that interdisciplinary approaches can be taken at their own preference.

Today, with the rapid progression of globalization, the way nations position themselves is changing, and with this as a backdrop it is plain to see that Japan’s universities are also changing. Ways of thinking are changing as things are seen through an international light, and it is now seen as a matter of urgency to produce graduates who can be active on the world stage. Here at Meiji University, we are aiming to be one of the top universities in this global society, and we are making great strides in innovating education and research at the University. In addition to that, with the founding spirits of "rights, liberty, independence and autonomy", Meiji University is considering the importance of the university social responsibility, especially contributions to the international community.

Meiji University is one of the thirteen universities selected by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for its “Global 30” Project for Establishing Core Universities for Internationalization aiming for universities to become competitive in the international society and provide education for global citizens. MEXT provides grants for five years to universities selected as core schools for educating international students through courses taught in English. The universities are expected to accelerate their globalization efforts and enhance the academic structure for international students studying or commencing research in Japan.

Features of Graduate School

From Government to Governance: Toward a New Ideal of Society Based on Collaboration among Diverse Individuals and Organizations
The Graduate School of Governance Studies is located on Meiji University’s Surugadai Campus. This location and the range of available resources provide an ideal study environment for professionals in government and public administration.

The goal of the Graduate School of Governance Studies, “Governance Research”, is to develop students into skilled professionals with a high degree of specialist knowledge and abroad, international perspective, to leverage the benefits generated by public policy education and research programs to support policy creation by local communities and governments, and to develop students into professionals with a high degree of specialist knowledge and an international outlook. The course is aimed at people involved in local politics and administration as well as international cooperation-heads of local government, elected assembly members, public officials, NPO and NGO staff and even corporate employees-as well as universities graduates seeking to enter the civil service and who have an interest in these areas of public policy.

The English track offers courses totally in English for international students, including those on government scholarships or whose studies are otherwise funded by the government, as well as long-term government development aid trainees. Under the English track, three programs, namely “Public Policy Program”. “International Development Policy Program” and “Community Planning and Management Program” are provided, so that students can selectively study most relevant subjects to their own research interests. (See 3. Features of the Program for more details).

Generally speaking, a holder of a MA Degree in Public Policy refers to professionals who can be part of the creation of public policy incorporating a study of relevant materials and thorough analysis of policy issues in Japan and overseas. This is indeed a complex processing involving in-depth reviews of the policy-making process from planning through to finalization; consideration of how the process can be revised and streamlined to better meet its objectives (e.g., by having members of the community participate); simulation of how policies will play out in practice to gauge their feasibility in terms of meeting objectives; use of experimental policies to identify potential obstacles and their root causes; and policy revisions. Finally, or at least inter-annually, the results of the policy are collated and assessed.

The goals of the Graduate School of Governance course are to establish a new realm in the science of public policy, a comprehensive science that integrates the three existing major fields of study (politics and administration, economics and finance, and law), and to develop students into highly specialized educators armed with practical and technical knowledge.

Features of the Program

1) Curriculum Structure
The English degree track is designed to accept both international and Japanese students. While refining the approach of various specialized disciplines to global problems, we aim to study issues of governance-essentially, how governments, corporations, and citizens should be involved in the management of society-based on case analyses of economic development, political and administrative reforms, and related areas in Japan and other countries, with an emphasis on the postwar period.

2) The Three Programs
The three programs that form the degree track are both global and local in scope. Their cores consist of, respectively, Public Policy, International Development Policy, and Community Planning and Management. From these standpoints, they take up major topics of immediate relevance to contemporary world issues, including decentralization, “good enough governance,” citizen participation, sustainable development, economic development cooperation, regional development, and poverty reduction.

(1) Public Policy Program
The program is designed to learn about public policy processes, from identifying issues to formulating, implementing, and evaluating policy options. The knowledge and expertise in policy processes, including expertise in political science, public administration studies, and efficient organizational management are growing their importance in the field of public policy.

(2) International Development Policy Program
Drawing on disciplines concerned with international economics and the environment, this program is designed to enable students to analyze global issues of sustainable development and poverty from multiple perspectives on social systems. While market-driven economic development has brought about wealth to many societies, it has also exacerbated global problems such as environmental degradation and income disparity.

(3) Community Planning and Management Program
Community is the field of practice where governance comes most closely in contact with people's lives. The program is organized around the process of making, implementing, and evaluating policies for resolving global issues from local perspectives. It also focuses on crisis management and the role of the community in responding to natural disasters and terrorism, which have been increasing in recent years.

3) Thesis Guidance
Research Method: In these seminar courses with consultation with their advisor, students choose a governance-related topic, conduct their own research from perspectives including theoretical studies and policy analysis after reviewing the relevant literature, and consider the appropriateness of their definition of the topic.
Research Paper: These seminar courses focus on the writing of academic papers. Students can learn how to construct a theory and employ research methods, data analysis techniques, and related skills in writing actual papers on their own research topics.

4) Special program for JDS Fellows
Since the carrier of most of the JDS Fellows are administrative officers playing important roles in their respective countries, actual site visits to governmental organizations both at the central and local level are specially arranged for the students. Special lectures by distinguished invited lecturers in Japan and abroad are also arranged several times a year to help students deepen their understanding of practical management methods they have adopted.
In addition, our students can take special classes designed for non-native English speakers. It is expected that they can develop their ability in academic English and acquire adequate skills before going into writing a MA thesis through these courses.

Necessary Curriculum to Obtain the Degrees

The Graduate School of Governance Studies at Meiji University offers various courses in the three programs described above. Most of the courses are relevant to the students' research interests and organized by adopting "active learning" approaches. A number of fieldwork opportunities for learning from the practice in Japan are offered.
In addition, Practical Seminars are offered for improving student's thesis writing and presentation skills in the academic fields.

Subject offered in English are listed as below.

Public Policy Program

Governance Studies
Intergovernmental Relations
Urban Spatial Policy
Introduction to Public Policy Analysis
Public Financial Management
Public Policy
Policy Evaluation
Evaluation Theory and Practice
Japanese Foreign and Development Policy
Comparative Public Administration
Comparative Study of Corruption
Comparative Local Government
Global Governance (Theory)
Global Governance (Institutions)
Public Finance
TQM in Public Sector
Spatial Planning
Negotiation in the Public Sector
Current Development in Public Policy and Management
Public Finance
Tax Policy and Tax Administration
Civil Service Systems in Japan and Abroad
Human Resources Development in Local Government
Japanese Local Government (Finance)
Japanese Politics and Society
Japanese Economic Policy

International Development Policy Program

Macroeconomics A/B
Microeconomics A/B
International Economics and Finance
Private Sector Development
Government and Politics in Developing Countries
Politics and Economics in East Asia
Political Economy of Development
Theories and Experience of the Developmental State
Japanese Economy in International Environment
Economic System and Environment
Business, Policy and Environment

Community Planning and Management Program

Social Policy
Human Resource Management
Social Development
NGO/NPO Policy
NGO/NPO Management
Crisis Management for Natural Disasters
Crisis Management and Public Administration
Leadership Theory and Practice
QM in Japanese Public Sector
Consensus Building in the Public Sector
Community Engagement and Facilitation
Education for Crisis and Contingency Management
Urban Management and Environment
Environmental Governance
Environmental Management
Environmental Assessment
Introducing Spatial Planning in Tokyo
Comparative and International Education
Japanese Education in Comparative Perspective
Urban Design
Crisis Management and Civil Society
Urban and Regional Development Planning

List of faculty members capable of guiding JDS Fellows

We have 12 professors who are able to supervise international students in English. Advisers are assigned at the faculty meeting before the arrival of JDS Fellows, considering their proposed research plan and expertise of advisers.

Faculty Members

As of June 4, 2018

Course Instructor

Subjects

Yuriko Minamoto, Ph.D.
(Professor)

Evaluation Theory and Practice
Social Development
Current Development in Public Policy and Management
Research Method 1,2
Research Paper 1,2

Hideaki Tanaka, Dr.
(Professor)

Public Financial Management
Public Finance
Research Method 1,2
Research Paper 1,2

Government and Politics in Developing Countries
Global Governance (Theory)
Global Governance (Institutions)
Japanese Foreign and Development Policy
Research Method 1,2
Research Paper 1,2

Shunsuke Kimura, Ph.D.
(Professor)

Japanese Local Government (Finance)
Research Method 1,2
Research Paper 1,2

To Be Announced

Comparative Local Government
Education for Crisis and Contingency Management
Civil Service Systems in Japan and Abroad
Human Resources Development in Local Government
Research Method 1,2
Research Paper 1,2

Junro Nishide, Ph.D.
(Professor)

TQM in Public Sector
QM in Japanese Public Sector
Research Method 1,2
Research Paper 1,2

Comparative and International Education
Japanese Education in Comparative Perspective
Qualitative Research Methods
Masters Thesis Development
Analyzing and Writing in Qualitative Research

Academic Schedule

Semester

Class duration

1st Period

Fall 2019

From September 20th 2019 to February 3rd 2020

2nd Period

Spring 2020

From April 4th 2020 to July 31st 2020

3rd Period

Fall 2020

From September 20th 2020 to February 3rd 2021

The last Period

Spring 2021

From April 4th 2021 to July 31st 2021 (Reference)
*Graduation Ceremony (September 19th)

* Dates are subject to change each year.

Facilities

State-of-the-Art Facilities in an Ideal Location in Central Tokyo
The Graduate School of Governance Studies is located on Meiji University’s Surugadai Campus. This location and the range of available resources provide an ideal study environment for professionals in government and public administration.

The Campus

Easily Accessible Surugadai Campus
Surugadai Campus is the traditional heart of historic Meiji University. Graduate School classes are held in the Academy Common located in the campus. This building was opened in April 2004 primarily to serve as a lifelong education center open to the community; it has eleven floors above ground and two basement levels and is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Access to the campus is excellent, with the nearby Japan Railway service and five subway lines making it an easy commute for busy professionals.

Study Area in Building 14 with Full Internet Access
Private study space is provided for students of the Graduate School of Governance Studies. Each carrel is equipped with a power outlet and LAN connection for laptop computers. Full Internet access allows students to consult online journals, external databases, and library catalogs. There are also lockers, copying machines, and an open printer service. (Hours: 7:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.)

Discussion Rooms and Graduate Schools Lounge
Discussion rooms on the fourth floor of Building 14 can be used for group study and other purposes. There is also a lounge shared by the four professional graduate schools. One of the best privileges in using the lounge is that they can broaden their view of things through communication with other students from variety of countries across the world that is essential to become outstanding leaders in this global society after graduation.

Library (Surugadai Campus)Comprehensive Central Library with over 1.4 Million Volumes
The 12,485 m2 Central Library provides seating for 1,274 readers. Its extensive collection includes 2.5million books, 40,000 newspaper and journal titles, and a comprehensive range of electronic materials on microfiche, CD-ROM, and other digital media. The catalog database can be searched using the OPAC system, and the library provides free access to the essential database LexisNexis and many other academic databases.

BookstoreSanseido Bookstore Meiji University Surugadai Campus Branch
The Sanseido Bookstore operates a branch in Basement Level 2 of Building 12 on the Surugadai Campus. Here students can buy not only course texts but all the books and journals needed to support their studies. Meiji University students receive a 10 percent discount on all book purchases on presenting their Student ID.

Student Dining FacilitiesA Cafeteria-style Dining Hall with a Superb View over the City
The student dining hall, Sky Lounge Akatsuki, is located on the 17th floor of Liberty Tower. The 365-seat cafeteria-style facility features a superb view over the city. Drinks and light meals are also available in the Café Pensée coffee shop on the first floor of the Academy Common.

Meiji University may not be able to provide dormitory for international students of Graduate School of Governance Studies.

Message for Applicants

From University:

Japan entered the twenty-first century still suffering the aftereffects of the collapse of the bubble economy in the early 1990s. This prolonged slowdown shook the confidence and pride that the Japanese had developed during their postwar era of spectacular growth, while rapid globalization cast doubt on the nation’s ability to compete internationally. Under these pressures, we will without doubt see great changes in the political and administrative environment. In the coming era, people will be more aware of how their own communities are managed by local bodies, and there will be a growing need for cooperation and collaboration between the national and local governments. Japanese companies, having shown signs of recovery, must now withstand a renewed economic downturn, and they are also being called on to contribute more to society. In short, we can no longer rely on solutions that have worked in the past; we are facing new problems, and the responsibility for solving those lies in our own hands. In other words, it is now urgent that we strengthen the capacity of actors at the local level to formulate and implement policy.

Against this background, the objective of the Graduate School of Governance Studies, as a professional graduate school, is to produce graduates capable of meeting the political and administrative needs of the coming era. Our unique program is designed to train professionals with advanced knowledge, vision, and a high level of ability to formulate and carry out policy. The program is entitled “Governance Studies,” rather than “Government Studies,” to reflect the ideal of the political and administrative systems now taking shape. The era we are entering is one of collaboration in which national and local governments, the people of each community, corporate enterprises, NPOs, and NGOs must all join forces in the management of society.

In the Graduate School, highly motivated students consider a wide range of policies while working closely with teachers who have extensive international and practical experience. A major feature of the program is the student-centered curriculum, based on case studies and presentations on ongoing issues. Elected representatives, public officials, corporate employees, NPO and NGO workers, and people who aspire to political or public service careers come together at the Academy Common, and each of them plays a leading role. The program nurtures the individual’s latent ability and commitment in order to produce the future leaders of governance. And even after their two years at the Surugadai Campus have ended, the Graduate School’s alumni can look forward to maintaining a lifelong network as members of the “governance family.”
We are looking forward to receiving your promising candidates to think together for the better future of Myanmar.